Most tutoring platforms match you by subject and level. A mathematics tutor is a mathematics tutor. What they rarely account for is the language through which a child thinks, and that gap turns out to be significant.
The mother tongue advantage
UNESCO has long recommended mother-tongue instruction as the foundation of early education. The reasoning is straightforward: children understand concepts more deeply when explained in the language they use at home, not just the language of the classroom.
For Yoruba-speaking families in the UK or US, this creates a persistent problem. Their children are often navigating two worlds simultaneously: an English-medium school environment and a home environment where Yoruba is the primary language. Standard tutors are trained in one of these worlds.
What the research shows
A 2023 study published in the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism tracked 340 children aged 8-14 from Nigerian-British families over two academic years. Children who received supplementary tutoring in Yoruba for language arts (even just two hours per week) showed a 23% improvement in English reading comprehension compared to the control group.
23%
Improvement in English reading comprehension with 2 hrs/week Yoruba-medium tutoring
340
Nigerian-British children (aged 8-14) tracked over two academic years
The researchers attributed this to what they called "conceptual transfer": once a child fully internalises a concept in their stronger language, that concept transfers rapidly to their second language.
"Once a child fully internalises a concept in their stronger language, that concept transfers rapidly to their second language."
The curriculum gap
The challenge is compounded by curriculum differences. The Nigerian national curriculum and GCSE/A-level differ in structure, pacing, and expectations. A child who moved from Lagos at age 10 may have deep knowledge of topics the UK curriculum hasn't reached yet, and gaps in areas UK schools consider foundational.
This creates a confusing experience for both parents and children. Parents who paid for excellent schooling in Nigeria find their children placed in lower sets. Children who were high achievers begin to underperform.
A tutor who understands both curricula can bridge this gap explicitly, not just teaching the subject, but explaining how what the child already knows relates to what is being asked of them.
The Tutelee approach
On Tutelee, tutors who teach in Yoruba are verified as native or near-native speakers. They are also vetted on their knowledge of both the UK and Nigerian curricula. A Yoruba-speaking Mathematics tutor on Tutelee doesn't just explain long division. They can explain it in Yoruba, reference the JSS1 curriculum the child studied, and map that knowledge onto the Year 8 programme of study.
The result is tutoring that feels familiar to the child, not alien, and measurably better learning outcomes.